Asserts that the rhetoric for US military spending to protect against rogue states is just an excuse to funnel large amounts of money to certain corporations. In particular, the article shows that the $50 billion missile defense system is unnecessary, because rogue states such as North Korea, Iran, & Iraq are incapable of staging a missile attack against the US. The article also points out that the US does not protest aggression if it fits in with American interests; eg, the Bush administration did not protest Saddam Hussein's using mustard gas on his own Kurdish population in the early 1990s. Altogether, US foreign policy has not been driven by lofty ideals but by national self-interest defined by multinational corporations. R. Larsen
AbstractTerraces and tenements provide the facades upon which are inscribed texts and decorative images. Embedded in the walls, these 'plaques' convey meanings and memories that saturate the built environment with references to the past. Evidence based on property surveys, maps and archival documents form the empirical basis from which it is concluded that images and inscriptions presented a wider geo-political and historical awareness in the everyday setting of local residents.
This paper draws connections between building enclosure technologies from the time of Le Corbusier's mur neutralisant and respiration exacte concepts to a present-day double-skin glass fagade system, the closed cavity fagade (CCF). The successes and failures of Le Corbusier's thermally controlled interior and hermetically sealed wall concepts are examined as they were applied to Villa Schwob (La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland,1916), Centrosoyuz (Moscow, Russia, 1928), and the Salvation Army Building in its originally built form (1933). Building on this historical context, the paper discusses facade technologies that emerged in 1980s and 1990s that sought to improve upon the performance of sealed glazing by eliminating condensation, improving thermal comfort and integrating solar control: the ventilated double-skin facade and the less widely discussed fagade pressurisee (pressurized facade) and facade respirante (breathable facade). The facade technologies are elaborated upon in the cases of the French National Library (1989-1995) and the Grenoble Law Court (1994-2002) where facades were fabricated by French manufacturer Rinaldi-Structal. In these projects, non-standard building technologies were developed and applied through the aggregate efforts of French government research labs, manufacturers, architects, and insurers. Today, breathable facade technology is largely limited to use in France; each application receives technical review by a state agency during the design phase. On the other hand, pressurized facade technology has spread to other parts of Europe and beyond under the name CCF. Innovative forms of CCF developed by Gartner/Permasteelisa, based on initial experimentation in coordination with a German research institute, continue to push the performance envelope: CCF with facade-integrated ventilating floor slots (Roche Diagnostics, Rotreuz, Switzerland, 2011), CCF with operable windows (LEO Building, Frankfurt, Germany, 2013), CCF with wooden louvers in the cavity (EY Center, Sydney, Australia, 2014), CCF with tilted exterior faces (JTI Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland, 2015). The built works and the threads of technological development between them are identified as applied research that bridges between theory and practice.
Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Aktivierung der Fassade zur Einsparung von elektrischer Energie und zur aktiven Nutzung von Solarenergie. Sie soll als Beitrag zur Ressourcenschonung und aktiver Nutzung erneuerbaren Energien dienen und das Interesse von Industrie und Architekten für die Nutzung der Fassadenflächen vorallem von Bürogebäuden wecken. Neben den Bemühungen der Architekten und Energieplaner den Energieverbrauch von Gebäuden, hier im Speziellen von Verwaltungsgebäuden, durch eine konsequente Dämmung der Gebäudehüllen und den Einsatz von geeigneten Sonnenschutzmaßnahmen zu minimieren, gibt es die parallele Entwicklung von verschiedenen Systemen zur Tageslichtnutzung. Diese sollen einerseits den Verbrauch an elektrischer Energie reduzieren und andererseits die Behaglichkeit der Nutzer erhöhen. Die Reduzierung von elektrischer Energie wird in dieser Arbeit durch die Nutzung des Tageslichts mit Hilfe von Glasprofilen und -rohren erfolgen. Zur aktiven Solarenergienutzung werden Vakuumröhren in die Fassade integriert. Es gibt die Vision einer transparenten Fassade, die Energie spart, nutzt und sammelt. Hierbei werden die Glasprofile und -rohre, die sich auf der Grundlage der Untersuchungen als funktionsfähige Profile zur Tageslichtnutzung herausgestellt haben, mit auf dem Markt erhältlichen Vakuumröhren zu einem Fassadensystem gefügt und in Fassadenkonstruktionen integriert. Es wird ein Fassadensystem entwickelt, das jeder Büroeinheit ermöglicht ihre Fassade solartechnisch zu aktivieren bei gleichzeitigem Prestigegewinn für den Nutzer. Die Ergebnisse im Rahmen dieser Arbeit zeigen, dass hinsichtlich Nutzung des Tageslichts der Einsatz der Glasprofile als transparenter Sonnenschutz bei gleichzeitiger Diffuslichtlenkung am sinnvollsten ist. Diffuses Licht steht im Gegensatz zur direkten Strahlung auch bei bewölktem bzw. bedecktem Himmel zur Verfügung. Systeme, die mit direktem Licht arbeiten funktionieren gerade dann, wenn der Bedarf am größten ist, nicht. In Zukunft wird die aktive Nutzung erneuerbarer Energien in Gebäuden eine zentrale Rolle spielen. Die Diskrepanz zwischen dem weltweiten Bedarf an Energie und den Vorkommen der fossilen Rohstoffe wird in den nächsten Jahren immer größer werden. Diese Lücke muss durch die Nutzung erneuerbarer Energien geschlossen werden. Für Solarthermie ist eine ähnliche Entwicklung wie bei Photovoltaikanlagen zu erwarten. Die Photovoltaik betreffend wurden auf politischer Ebene deutliche Signale gesetzt, die eine aktive Solarenergienutzung in der Gebäudehülle unterstützen. So bringt der im Moment vorliegende Entwurf zum EEG (Erneuerbare Energien Gesetz) zum Ausdruck, dass gebäudeintegrierte Anlagen eine erhöhte Vergütung und die fassadenintegrierten Systeme den Höchstsatz bekommen. Ein Entwurf für das EEG die Solarthermie betreffend ist in Arbeit. ; The present work is about utilizing the building façade in order to reduce the consumption of electricity by actively using solar energy. This work aims to contribute to the conservation of scarce resources and to be proactive in the use of renewable energies. Hopefully this initiative will awaken the interest of both industry and architects for the energy efficient use of building facades. This initiative is particularly relevant to office buildings. Besides the efforts of architects and energy-planners to minimize the energy consumption of buildings with the insulation of building surfaces along with adequate sun protection measures, there is a parallel development of alternative systems aiming to utilize the daylight. These systems have the dual benefit of a reduction in the consumption of electric energy as well as an increase in the comfort of the users. The added benefits from the active use of solar energy are achieved by incorporating both glass sections and glass pipes into the façade. Glass profiles and pipes have already proved themselves as well-working profiles for the exploitation of daylight. This technology combined with vacuum-tubes that are already on the market, creates an integrated façade system that gives the impression of a transparent surface while it actively saves, uses and collects energy. Thus a system is being developed that makes it possible for each office unit to activate their façade solar-technically. As well as increasing the utility of the individual user, the system offers added prestige. The results within the framework of this work show that with regard to the utilization of daylight, the use of glass profiles as transparent sun protection with simultaneous steering of diffuse light is the most sensible. Unlike direct radiation, diffuse light is available also when the sky is clouded. Systems working with direct light are least efficient when they are be most needed. In future the active use of renewable energies in buildings will have a central role. The discrepancy between the worldwide need of energy and the existing fossil energies will continue to broaden in the next years. This gap must be closed by using more renewable energies. As for solar thermal energy one has to expect a similar development as with photovoltaic installations. Concerning the photovoltaic, on a political level, photovoltaic technologies have been given clear signals supporting the active use of solar energy for building-surfaces. The current existing draft for the EEG (law concerning renewable energies) shows that installations integrated into the building are sponsored by a higher reimbursement and the systems integrated into the facades receive the maximum rate. The draft for the EEG concerning solar thermal energy is currently in preparation.
Penelitian ini bertujuan menjelaskan (1) perkembangan morfologi fasade ruko, (2) faktor penyebab perubahan morfologi fasade ruko, dan (3) peran peraturan bangunan gedung yang berlaku dalam penentuan model fasade ruko di Mandonga. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di Mandonga kota Kendari ibukota provinsi Sulawesi Tenggara. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian adalah survey lapangan dengan mewawancarai enambelas pemilik ruko sebagai responden dan melakukan perekaman visual. Pengambilan sampel dilakukan pada inti/pusat Mandonga yang paling berkembang melalui teknik sampling. Bertujuan menganalisis data dalam bentuk tabulasi yang kemudian di klasifikasikan untuk menjelaskan perubahan dan faktor yang mempengaruhi morfologi fasade ruko, dan melakukan penilaian terhadap fasade ruko sampel mengenai kesesuaian dengan peraturan/regulasi bangunan gedung dengan menggunakan skala Likert. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa morfologi fasade ruko di Mandonga cenderung berubah seiring perubahan waktu (trend gaya bangunan) dengan faktor sosial, ekonomi, budaya, ekologi, teknologi, politik dan hukum serta periode pembangunan ruko yang mempengaruhinya. Kata Kunci: Morfologi, fasade, rumah toko, regulasi
The article explores the elections and their effect on relationships per group stratification in rural China. The author examines criteria, as each pertain to the socio-political evolution and decision-making process, evaluating future democratic prospects. The author states that village elections provide a key insight into the meaningfulness of the processes, mechanisms, and effects; often involving corrupt management practices. Present indicators state democracy formed by a constituency from the bottom strata of society seems unlikely, though there are competitive public elections, i.e. the 2005 election in Pingshanan. The author also examines the roles of candidates running for office - entrepreneurs, nouveau riche, and party politics; as well as unwavering male dominance, and other implications regarding the democratic process in China. Adapted from the source document.
International audience ; Current commitments by European governments seek to improve energy consumption as a means to reduce carbon emissions from building stock by 2050. Within such context, retrieving reliable three-dimensional contours from point clouds becomes an important step in developing facade retrofitting solutions since facade retrofitting projects often make use of as-built 3D models to help reduce inaccuracies by narrowing interpretation and measurement errors. This work aims to provide a method that uses topology-based parametric modelling for reconstructing building envelopes from point clouds. Through a semi-automated process that gives permanent visual feedback, the user adjusts parameters to custom standards of acceptability. A solution under the form of a Grasshopper definition delivers building envelope 3D contours in various file formats as a means for increasing interoperability. The main contributions of this work consist of a parametric reconstruction workflow capable of solving building topology for retrieving 3D contours, a strategy to bypass point cloud occlusion, and a strategy for converting those contours into an IFC model directly from the parametric modelling environment.
International audience ; Current commitments by European governments seek to improve energy consumption as a means to reduce carbon emissions from building stock by 2050. Within such context, retrieving reliable three-dimensional contours from point clouds becomes an important step in developing facade retrofitting solutions since facade retrofitting projects often make use of as-built 3D models to help reduce inaccuracies by narrowing interpretation and measurement errors. This work aims to provide a method that uses topology-based parametric modelling for reconstructing building envelopes from point clouds. Through a semi-automated process that gives permanent visual feedback, the user adjusts parameters to custom standards of acceptability. A solution under the form of a Grasshopper definition delivers building envelope 3D contours in various file formats as a means for increasing interoperability. The main contributions of this work consist of a parametric reconstruction workflow capable of solving building topology for retrieving 3D contours, a strategy to bypass point cloud occlusion, and a strategy for converting those contours into an IFC model directly from the parametric modelling environment.
Traditional design discourse uses very vague notions. The vagueness can be greatly reduced by confining one's descriptions of physical design features to materials and spatial relationships. Such definitions are suggested for three factors of architectural facades: surface complexity, silhouette complexity, and facade articulation. Each of the three definitions correlates highly with subjective impressions ( rsin the range of .69 to .90). When all three factors were varied simultaneously, the most important factor for visual preference turned out to be the surface complexity (β weight = .72). Silhouette complexity was less important (β weight = .26), and facade articulation was least important (β weight = -.11). The findings have direct implications for both practice and research.
